STORYTELLING
Goal: Connect to customers, potential
partners and project stakeholders and
inspire them to take action
Plainly presenting rational facts is not always enough to compel people
to change. Storytelling is a tool that can help you convince people of the
importance of your mesage or product by making it easier to relate to.
Example: the 3M Post-it story
While Dr. Silver researching adhesives in the 3M laboratory,
he suddenly came across something he did not expect.
Instead of the stronger glue he was working towards, he
found a material that would stick to objects but just as easily
let go of them. Although he did not know what to do with it
at first, he was sure his invention had to be of some use. He
would preach about his invention to his colleagues.
Meanwhile, Art Fry, a colleague working at 3M, was stuck
with a problem. While practicing for Sunday's service with
the local church choir, he would mark the hymns with
scraps of paper. But the scraps would keep falling out of
the hymnal. Suddenly, he knew how Silver’s invention could
be of use. They went on to develop Post-it notes, a hugely
successful product that would be sold across the world.
Communication
How can I use it?
1 Consider the goal of your story. Include a call to
action in your narrative.
2 Create a character that your audience can
identify with. Consider what kinds of stories
members of your audience tell each other.
3 Be sincere and human-centered. Create an
experience your audience will enjoy.
4 Make use of metaphors and analogies and keep
your story tangible and concrete.
5 Consider which medium would best suit your
story. Examples are text and image, comics, video,
role play, or a speech.
6 Get inspired! Often, the protagonist in a story
encounters something blocking him or her
from reaching a certain goal. The audience’s sense
of empathy is called on while the protagonist tries
to overcome this obstacle.
Example story based on:
http://www.post-it.com/3M/en_US/post-it/contact-us/about-us/
www.centre4innovation.org